(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for executing a remote application in a local device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for enabling switching and execution between a local application (e.g., “app”) installed in a local device and a remote app installed in a remote device to be more conveniently and simply performed on a screen of the local device.
(b) Background Art
Currently, the development of information and communication technologies promotes the development of cars that are increasingly comfortable and convenient by providing drivers with various information. As is well known, various convenience-enhancing devices can be mounted in a vehicle, including an audio/video system, a navigation system for providing map and traffic information, and the like.
In particular, audio/video & navigation (AVN) systems, which display various kinds of information required by a driver through a display device while outputting audio in the vehicle, have been integrated in vehicles. Like smart devices (e.g., a smart phone and the like), vehicle terminals, such as a head unit of the AVN system, are being developed as a device capable of using various functions by executing an app downloaded and installed through an app (e.g., application software) installed in the delivery of a vehicle or communication. In addition, a display device, such as a touch screen through which input and output are possible, has been applied as a display device of the vehicle terminal.
Meanwhile, techniques have been developed which enable various functions to be performed by connecting a smart device to a vehicle. As an example, there are mirroring techniques between a smart device and a vehicle terminal, in which a smart device is connected to a vehicle (e.g., using Bluetooth), and a display screen of the smart device is displayed as it is through a display device of the vehicle. That is, if a mirroring app is executed on a screen (e.g., local screen) of a vehicle terminal (e.g., local device) after a smart device (e.g., remote device) is connected to a vehicle, a screen (e.g., remote screen) of the smart device is identically displayed by a display device of the vehicle.
In this case, if an app (e.g., remote app) of the smart device is executed on a screen (e.g., mirroring screen) displayed by the display device of the vehicle, the execution screen of the app is displayed by the display device. As such, the display device of the vehicle displays not only the app of the vehicle terminal, but also the app executed in the smart device.
However, conventionally, a screen of the vehicle terminal switches to a mirroring screen by executing a mirroring app in the vehicle terminal for the purpose of mirroring of the smart device, and an app on the remote screen, i.e., an app of the smart device, could then be executed. In addition, a separate manipulation (e.g., a manipulation for mirroring and its cancellation, etc.) is required in order to perform switching between an app of the vehicle terminal and an app of the smart device.
FIG. 1 is a view showing screens of a display device of a vehicle, which illustrates a conventional method for executing an app of a smart device in the display device of the vehicle. As shown in this figure, if a mirroring app is executed on a local screen (e.g., screen in FIG. 1(a)) displayed by the display device of the vehicle, i.e., a user interface (UI) provided by a vehicle terminal, display information of a smart device is displayed on the same screen (e.g., mirroring screen) in the display device of the vehicle (see FIG. 1(b)). Subsequently, if a map app is executed on the mirroring screen in the display device of the vehicle, the screen of the map app provided in the smart device is displayed as it is through the display device so that map information is provided to a driver (see FIG. 1(c)).
More specifically, in order to execute an app installed in the vehicle terminal, the user uses a UI screen that the vehicle terminal provides through the display device as it is. If the smart device is connected to the vehicle terminal, a display screen of the smart device is displayed as it is through the display device of the vehicle by executing the mirroring app. In this case, the display device receives and displays the same screen as the display screen of the smart device, i.e., a UI screen provided from an operating system (OS) of the smart device. Therefore, in order to execute an app of the smart device while an app of the vehicle terminal is being used, the screen of the smart device should be displayed by the display device of the vehicle through mirroring by performing a separate manipulation (e.g., execution of the mirroring app, etc.) in a state in which the UI screen of the vehicle terminal is displayed.
In the conventional method, in order to execute a remote app of the smart device (e.g., remote device) while a local app is being executed using the UI screen of the vehicle terminal (e.g., local device), the remote app should be executed after the display screen of the display device of the vehicle is switched to the display screen of the smart device. Therefore, there is an inconvenience in that an app must be selected after switching between devices is complete so as to perform switching between apps.
Most smart devices using a self OS (e.g., iOS, OS for Android phones, and the like) provide a UI for executing and switching apps, and the UI enables an app to be immediately executed on a home screen or enables switching between apps executed in a background by pressing a menu key, for example. However, such a technique is considered with respect to only the local app (e.g., app installed in the smart device itself), and is not considered with respect to execution of and switching between apps of the smart device and another remote device connected thereto.
In most current remote apps and mirroring techniques, after a remote screen of a remote device is displayed on a mirroring screen of the local display device (e.g., a display device of a vehicle), an app (e.g., remote app) of the remote device displayed by the local display device is executed, or switching between apps occurs. However, there is no solution for allowing switching between apps of a local device and a remote device through a minimum amount of manipulation. Accordingly, in the conventional method, in order to execute an app installed in the smart device after a local app is executed through a self UI in the vehicle terminal, a UI (e.g., remote screen) of the smart device is displayed by the display device of the vehicle through the aforementioned mirroring techniques, and a remote app (e.g., an app installed in the smart device and displayed in the display device of the vehicle) is then executed at a lower end of the mirroring screen.
On the other hand, in order to re-execute the local app of the vehicle terminal, the mirroring can be cancelled through a separate manipulation, and the local app is executed through the UI displayed in the vehicle terminal. As a result, it is necessary to perform a manipulation for allowing self UI screens of the vehicle terminal (e.g., local device) and the smart device (e.g., remote device) to be displayed by the display device for the purpose of switching between apps of the vehicle terminal and the smart device, and therefore, there is an inconvenience when switching between the apps of the vehicle terminal and the smart device.